FishDuck Article Administrator No. 1 Share Posted August 28, 2023 College football is officially back. Week 0 was just an appetizer for the five-course meal that is coming this Saturday, as we finally have our first full slate of games after another endless offseason. This season is an important one for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks. As they say goodbye to the Pac-12 and look to head to greener ... Three BOLD Predictions for Oregon Football in 2023 FISHDUCK.COM College football is officially back. Week 0 was just an appetizer for the five-course meal that is coming this Saturday, as we finally have our first... 1 1 2 Two Sites: FishDuck and the Our Beloved Ducks forum, The only "Forum with Decorum!" And All-Volunteer? What a wonderful community of Duck fans! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Haulin No. 2 Share Posted August 28, 2023 Great article Josh. The question for me is how much do they reign in Nix in the running game? Fine line in protecting Nix and costing Nix and the Ducks an exceptional season. The use of Herbert his senior year comes to mind. My bold prediction is Ducks finish with a top 25 Defense. Securing them a Pac title, a playoff birth and a NC game appearance 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 3 Share Posted August 28, 2023 (edited) Thank you, JW, always great to have the opportunity to read your takes. Even with Bodacious dotting the landscape, I agree that for some reason the Ducks are flying under the nation's CFB elite team's radar. UNC QB preseason Drake Maye's pub is off the charts. As I recall, on a dinged leg Bo Nix outdueled Maye and UNC in the Holiday Bowl. Here is a stat from 2022 that I love. 2 RBs in the nation last season carried the ball 150 times or more and averaged over 6.5 yards a carry while doing so. One, UCLA's Zach Charbonnet is playing for the Seahawks. The other, Bucky Irving, will be on the field playing for Oregon in 2023. It seems that there are 3 general concerns about the Ducks this season. 1. Will the D improve? This IMO is the key to whether the Ducks go 9-3 or 12-1 this season. 2. The O line. There may be more talented guys out there but OL is a ballet and last season's group had more time together at the barre. Can the OL this season pave the way for Bucky and other talented backs and hold the opposition to 5 sacks as it did in 2022? 3. Will the coaching staff's in-game management improve? For the want of a punt, the UW game was lost. Where were the adjustments on D to hold down the Beavers' one-dimensional run game in the fourth quarter of last year's Civil War game? Dan Lanning's mentor, Kirby Smart, made some bone-headed decisions, the Justin Fields fake punt attempt, not being the deepest of the deep on Tua's OT-winning TD champ game throw, but Kirby's on-field coaching skills have with game experience dramatically improved. I believe we will see the same from DL and staff in 2023. Finally and this is the case for every football team no matter how talented, where will the football Good Gosh's fickle finger of fate point? Stuff will happen as it happened on the Palouse last season before Oregon made an amazing comeback in the game that in many ways tipped the season in the direction of success. This is the deepest the Pac-12 in its swan song, has been in decades if not ever. There will be no easy day within the conference and in Lubbock, Texas. Thanks again Joshua and ... Edited August 28, 2023 by Jon Joseph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCKED No. 4 Share Posted August 28, 2023 Thanks Jon…..number 3 is a concern of mine. The Ducks’ roster is dramatically improved this year, and I hope the in-game coaching decisions, at crucial points, do not sabotage that. The Ducks could have won 12 games last season, and likely would have if not for a terrible call on 4th down against the Huskies and the inexplicable inability to stop the run against the Beavs in the 2nd half of the Civil War. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Rosa Duck No. 5 Share Posted August 28, 2023 Thanks Joshua, I always enjoy your posts. This morning I was in the mood to read an optimistic outlook on our DUCKS! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethehiker No. 6 Share Posted August 28, 2023 Great article Josh! With so many great QBs and offenses in the conference this year, points will swell as teams try to keep pace with each other. The 30-10-10 number should be easily reachable, especially if they pile up a few in the OOC games. Last year, that dilemma also caused some poor 4th down coaching choices as one stalled drive could cost you the game. Coach Lanning will face more of those choices this year, but hopefully an improved D will give us a little more confidence to get stops. So glad it's finally kickoff time! Everyone has hope! The best part of each year! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastBayDuckDad Moderator No. 7 Share Posted August 28, 2023 Great article. I have a lot of faith (hopefully not misplaced) in the new O-Line based on the experienced transfers and returners that rotated in with the starters last year. They appear to be holding their own against the significantly improved D-Line in practice, likely as good or better than the majority they will face this season. They don't need to open huge holes for the RBs, just enough to get to the second level. Many of the yards Bucky got last year were after first contact and he didn't need a lot of space to get there. The biggest question is can the line play enough as one unit to protect Nix for that extra second to get the ball off to the right read or break off a first down scramble. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 8 Share Posted August 28, 2023 Josh, I whole heartly agree with 1 and 3. I hadn't thought about 2 until your article. I think a big key to 2 is an improved D that isn't a 3rd down nightmare, which I think we now have, so I'll also agree with you on this one also. It's good to know that at this point in the season we're undefeated. Hopefully that lasts through week 7/8 and beyond. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 9 Share Posted August 28, 2023 My boldest prediction isn't that the most exciting player on the field will be in the Heisman hunt. It is if Bucky improves this season he will be the most exciting player on the field for any team playing. This will vault him into the trophy talk as Bucky is going to get lucky with the ball all season. The other bold prediction is either our most expensive assistant will get fired, or he has a breakout season with his side of the ball. A top 30 group of guys creating the havoc we were told to expect, or the season is a disappointment and we bring in another coach. I look for Havoc from this guy! Also why isn't he lining up at TE a few times this season? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCati855 Moderator No. 10 Share Posted August 28, 2023 Joshua, I appreciate and agree with most all your thoughts. My main concern is injuries. I foresee an especially chippy season in the final year of the Pac-12. I do not put it past any of these opposing teams throwing cheap shots at our key players. Bo went down against UW last year on what I feel was a questionable shot to his lower body. It could happen again and it would not shock me. This team has a huge upside. But, it is only one key injury away from an average season. My prediction. Bo and Coach Lanning know this and will not put him in any overly compromised positions that could lead to it. Ducks win the final Pac12 championship having beaten Washington twice. Make the playoffs and lose in the first round to Kirby and the Dawgs 42-38. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 11 Share Posted August 29, 2023 Wowsa. Top five in the nation in both major offensive categories? Whew! My fingers tremble as I keyboard, as the thought of an offense scoring that much would be so much fun! Love it Joshua, and THANKS! 1 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDuck No. 12 Share Posted August 29, 2023 A lot of wealth to spread around. How about team totals of 62/54/42. Scoring offense and yardage offense, #1 and #1. Pac 12 title, CFP, semifinal win...how about 15/0? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
